H. Otto Wittpenn
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Henry Otto Wittpenn (born possibly May 1, 1873) sometimes spelled H. Otto Wittpen. He was the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from January 1, 1908 to June 16, 1913.
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[edit] Birth
Henry Otto Wittpenn was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1872 to Dora (1847-?) and Henry Wittpenn (1844-?). Henry senior worked as a fireman in 1880, and later owned and operated a grocery store at 320 Communipaw Avenue. Henry had the following sibling: John Julius Wittpenn (1874-?) who was born on March 5, 1874.
[edit] Politics
Wittpenn entered politics in 1904 as one of the Hudson County, New Jersey supervisors. His run for mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey was in 1907 against the Republican incumbent Mark M. Fagan and he stayed in office until 1912 when he lost to Frank Hague. While in office he appointed Cornelia Foster Bradford to the Board of Education.
[edit] Jersey City Medical Center
While mayor he saw the completion of the Jersey City Medical Center begun under Fagan.
[edit] Marriage
He married Caroline Bayard (c1875-1932). Caroline had a sister: Martha Bayard who married Edwin Augustus Stevens. Caroline died on December 5, 1932.
[edit] Run for Governor
David Dayton McKean writes:
Back in 1916 Frank Hague decided that his personal organization was more important than the Democratic Party. President Wilson had appointed his old opponent, H. Otto Wittpenn, comptroller of customs at the New York Customs House. Trying to stage a political comeback, Wittpenn obtained the Democratic nomination for governor. His election would have meant the end of Frank Hague's political career, for the state patronage, and particularly the appointment of Hudson County judges and prosecutor, would have been in the hands of an enemy. Probably no outright deal was made with Walter E. Edge, the Republican candidate, but Edge benefited, nonetheless, from Hague's hostility to Wittpenn. When Wilson ran for governor in 1910 he had carried Hudson County by 26,10-2 majority; Fielder, the Democratic candidate in 1913, received 25,959 more votes than his Republican opponent; but when Wittpenn ran in 1916 he received a meager 7430 majority, which was easily overcome by the Edge majorities in the normally Republican counties. Organization Democrats were not urged to vote Republican in that election; they simply were not urged to vote. There has been no anti-Hague Democratic candidate for governor since Wittpenn.
[edit] Port of New York
President Woodrow Wilson named Wittpenn as the civilian overseer, of the Port of New York. Wittpenn ran for Governor again in 1916, but was not elected. Henry registered for the draft as "Henry Whitpenn" but did not serve.
[edit] Legacy
The Wittpenn Bridge opened in 1930, and crosses the Hackensack River between Jersey City, New Jersey and Kearny, New Jersey. It is part of NJ Route 7 and is a four-lane lift span.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- New York Times; April 12, 1929. page 26. Mrs. Wittpen gets Post; Hoover Names Her Commissioner in International Prison Group"
- New York Times; July 9, 1931; page 28. "H. Otto Wittpen Improves Rapidly"
| Preceded by: Mark M. Fagan |
Mayor of Jersey City 1908–1913 |
Succeeded by: Frank Hague |
